After releasing four self-titled albums accompanied by Roman numerals, Led Zeppelin opted to call their fifth effort Houses of the Holy, which baffled some fans. Jimmy Page gave a simple explanation for the name change recently.
"It goes I, II and III, as you say, but then IV, there's still four symbols, so it still goes in digits [like IIII], you see," Page said during a Q&A with fans on SiriusXM, Rolling Stone reports. "But [the fifth album] wasn't going to be Led Zeppelin Victory Sign [V]. So Houses of the Holy."
"It's about all of us being houses of the Holy Spirit, in a sense," he added about the title.
Fans have tried to explain the subtle move for years, with some saying it had to do with Page's fixation with occultist Aleister Crowley and others pointing out that Houses just sounded different from the first four records, Consequence of Sound notes.
In other Led Zep news, the band's motion to dismiss the plagiarism case brought on by former Spirit guitarist Randy California's family was denied. California's attorneys allege that Zeppelin stole parts of Spirit's 1968 song "Taurus" for their huge hit "Stairway to Heaven." Led Zep are able to appeal the ruling.
Page responded to the claims recently, calling them "ridiculous."
"The idea behind this is to make sure that Randy California is given a writing credit on 'Stairway to Heaven'," California's attorney told Bloomberg Businessweek. "It's been a long time coming."
Elsewhere in the SiriusXM Q&A, Page said that he is working on a "guitar project" that will be out next year before adding, "I think probably it's time for another solo album."
Readers: Do you believe Page? Do you have any theories on the different album name? Comment below.
